One of the most troubling aspects of Charlotte’s crime problem has to do with the area’s youth. There are lots of kids living here. And lots of them are getting into trouble. During a series of community meetings sponsored by CMPD in February and March, city residents from every district around town complained about the fact that teens and middle-school aged children roamed their neighborhoods unsupervised during school hours and beyond. The residents accused these kids of dealing and using drugs and alcohol and worse—robberies, vandalism, gunfire. At the meetings, the residents asked police for help in curbing the problem. And the police asked for their help, too. A 1995 ordinance says that parents in Charlotte-Mecklenburg can be charged with a misdemeanor if their child breaks curfew (unaccompanied juveniles under 16 years old are supposed to be restricted from public areas like sidewalks and restaurants on Sundays through Thursdays from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.; on Fridays and Saturdays, they have an extra hour). It’s not exactly a law that’s been rigorously enforced. But police say that’s about to change.
Reasons why include what they heard at those forums, and also stats that show unsupervised juveniles are responsible for a growing number of crimes. In the first four months of this year, for example, the number of arrests for burglary of those 17 years old and younger increased 30.8 % from the same period in 2006. Vehicle theft jumped 50%.
They’re getting into trouble in school, too. In the first semester of CMS’s year, there were seven sexual assaults, 25 assaults on school personnel, and five assaults with a weapon. Twenty-two kids were caught with guns. There were 157 incidents of possession of weapon. Police say that there is a gang presence in every middle and high school in the region.
In our August issue, the third installment of our series will look at how Charlotte’s growing gang problem is affecting its youth.
